Airbus, Dassault Aviation to carry out FCAS study

Airbus and Dassault Aviation have received a joint concept study (JCS) contract from France and Germany for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme, the company announced on 6 February.

The JCS is based on a High Level Common Operational Requirements Document signed between France and Germany in 2018.

Under the contract, the companies will identify preferred baseline concepts for the next generation fighter, remote carriers and a system of systems and associated next generation services. The study will also include the assessment of operational and technical viability, as well as evaluation of programme feasibility of the baseline concepts. The companies will also identify joint demonstrators and technology needs.

The planned next generation weapons system will consist of an advanced manned new generation fighter coupled with a set of new and upgraded weapons as well as a set of unmanned systems linked by a combat cloud and its ecosystem embedded in a system-of-systems FCAS architecture.

The study's aim is to conceptualise the different FCAS capabilities and to pave the way for future design, industrialisation, as well as an estimated full operational capability by 2040. The study will prepare and initiate demonstrator programmes for launch at the Paris Air Show in June 2019.